Morning Devotion: Faithful before co-workers

For you never know how the Lord might use a newly converted co-worker.

That seed you plant and that the Lord germinates might actually sprout into a ministry partnership that changes the world.

That’s certainly what happened, in a sense, with a man named Cornelius.

Acts 10 tells of how Cornelius was a Roman centurion, which meant he was an officer in charge of 100 soldiers.

Though he was Gentile by birth, Cornelius was drawn to Jehovah by inclination and was very supportive of the Jewish people in his town, Caesarea. The Bible describes him as devout, God-fearing and generous to the poor.

This was quite uncommon among the Romans.

Even more uncommon had to have been the sharing of faith in Jehovah between a centurion and one of his subordinates. Yet that’s what had happened with Cornelius.

When God wanted to once and for all convince Peter that Gentiles were to be included in God’s promises just as were the Jews, God sent an angel to Cornelius with a message to invite the Apostle Peter to his home.

Being a good soldier and understanding the importance of obeying orders, Cornelius called two of his servants “and a devout soldier” to him and instructed them to go find Peter in a town called Joppa at a house specified by the angel.

It’s a good story to read regarding God’s love and man’s biases. What intrigued me most in this story was the reference to the devout soldier.

I don’t believe that was an accident.

I believe instead that either Cornelius became faithful through the example and words of the soldier, or vice-versa.

They weren’t Christians yet, so this wasn’t a matter of them both listening to a gospel message from a traveling evangelist.

They WERE God-fearing, though, and were seeking the Lord according to the Old Testament information that they had from Jews they knew in their community.

If you’ll read Acts 10 by clicking here, you’ll see how God uses this sequence of events to set the stage for a major expansion of Christianity as the apostles later embrace the truth that God wants ALL people to be saved.

Listen, look for every opportunity to plant seeds of faith with your co-workers. You can’t control if and when that person will embrace Christ, but you can control if and when they see and hear about your faith.

And if they see a faith that has transformed your life for the better, he or she just might turn to the Lord in the belief that Christ can transform his or her life.

When that happens, God will be able to do amazing things to expand the gospel as you two work together for His sake.

Grateful for your comment, Rick. And I’m even more grateful for the desire you show to better know the Lord. Fantastic! I pray that you have the Kingdom impact that God desires from your life. You’ve been a blessing to me already. Can you tell me a bit about your church life?

Martin,
We are members at Stonegate Fellowship in Midland, Texas. This is a bible teaching church; if you visit with one of the ministers about a problem, he will say, “Let’s see what the Bible says about that.” My wife is on the hospitality team Sunday mornings, and I work the audio board at night for worship service for 5th-6th graders(they either have a live band or recorded music for their worship). My testimony about what God has done in my life the last 3 years takes much longer than this space. Suffice it to say that of my 68 years, the past 3 have brought me closer to God than ever before. He has a plan for me which I haven’t finished yet.

Awesome, brief note, Rick. Really appreciate the info. Helps me to know how to pray for your service to the Lord. Love the fact that you AND your bride are sharing in lay ministry. It’s such a blessing to be serving God and building godly relationships. Glad you understand that the Christian life is a journey of devotion and determination rather than a cruise. Have a great day!

Good morning!

Martin Drummond

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me. Please pass on to family and friends any insights you glean from this posting.
The more that you and I convey the blessing of serving God, the more He'll accomplish through us.
Blessings!

Devocion en Espanol

Selected Morning Devotions will start appearing in Spanish, thanks to the translation efforts of SouthWinds Christian Church member Gregorio Belmont assisted by my fellow pastor, Eddy Garrido. To access the devotions, click here